Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



E. T.'STAR R. y Breach-Loading Fire-Arms. No. 150,20L Patented Apri128,1874.

uIllI 'Il mnmwmum NITED STATES PATENT (Drron.`

EBEN T. STARR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,201, dated April 28, 1874 application filed August 21, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EBEN T. STARR, of lthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specification This invention consists in an arrangement otl compound levers for opening and closing the breech, whereby increased power and compactuess are obtained, and in a combination with the breech-block of a locking-key having legs arranged to straddle the breech-block, and with grooves in the inner faces of the legs for studs projecting from the main lever to enter, and, accordingly as the breech is opened or closed, to release the key, or to put it into locking position, as required. The invention likewise consists in a certain arrangement of the trigger independent of the lever, by which the breech is operated, wherebyT the lever, in being opened, withdraws from the trigger and conceals it, so that until the breech-block is locked by the key the trigger is protected from all possibility of being worked or released.

In the general operation ot'- the gun the action is such that one and the same movement of the lever opens the breech, halfcocks the hammer, and starts the shell.

Figure l represents a mainly-sectional longitudinal view of a breech-loading gun constructed in accordance with my invention, with the breech closed and hammer down in full lines, and with the lever started to open the breech and hammer at half-cock iu dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the breechblock thrown open and hammer at half -cock. Fig. 3 is a side View in part, in illustration of an adjustable sight; Fig. 4, an under view of the cartridge-extractor. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line x x, Fig. 6 a transverse section on the line y y, and Fig. 7 a horizontal section on the line z z. Fig. 8 is an interior view of one of the legs of the breech-locking key.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the barrel, and B the breech, of the gun. C is the breech-block, which occupies the entire length ofthe opening in the breech B, and carries the hammer I. Said breech-block is pivoted at b, which pivot. also forms the fulcrum of the main lever D, that has pivoted to it, at c,a supplementary lever, E. This supplementary lever bears, by its outer or back arm, and takes its fulcrum when being operated to open the breach, against the under rear portion of the breech-block, and its forward or other arm is preferably arranged to play in and out of or through the finger-bow of the main lever. By thus using a compound lever to open the breech, increased power and compactness are obtained. F is the key, by which the breech-block is locked when closed, and which should be slightly beveled lat its upper rear portion, and the seat correspondingly shaped. This key is constructed with legs cl d, arranged to straddle the breech-block, and with slots or grooves e e in the inner sides of the legs, and within which studs f f on the main lever D fit, so that as said main lever is started forward or open by rst pressing down on the forward end of the supplementary lever E the key F is drawn down or released, and as the compound lever D and E is farther drawn down or forward said key F, in common with the breech-block C, is thrown openxor forward to the position represented in Fig. 2. By cutting away a portion on each side of the rear part of the breech-block, and having the legs el d arranged to straddle said rear portion, in stead of working in the rear end of said recess, the breech-block is allowed to occupy the entire opening in the breech, and sutlicient space is provided for the working of the key, thus securing more strength to the parts than would be the case if the breech-block occupied only a portion of the recess, and the key worked between it and the rear end of the recess, as in my patent of September 14, 1858. lGr is a freely-sliding pin, arranged in an orice in the breech-block C, and held in place by a pin passing through the breech-block and engaging with a depression in said pin G, so as to limit its motion, but at the same time allow it to project through the front upper portion of the breech-block, so that as thermain lever Dis started to open the breech-block C a projection, g, on said lever, the action of which is controlled by a spring, H, will cause said pin G to be forced back to bring the hammer I, controlled by a spring, h, to half-cock. The

trigger J has its fulcruin fi on or in the breechblock, and independent of the lever D, and the hammer, by this arrangement,will be held. by said trigger at half-cock, where it remains after the breech is fully closed and the breechblock C locked by the key F. The trigger J, having its fulcrum t independent of the lever D, as described, is arranged to play through a slot or opening in the upper portion of the finger-bow 7c 0i the main lever D, whereby said lever, on opening the breech-block, is made to withdraw from' the trigger, and to conceal it, as represented in Fig. 2, so that until the breech-block is locked by the key F the trigger J cannot be operated to release the hammer. K is the cartridge-shell extractor, which is a simple slide having a rear turnedup grooved portion, Z, to catch on the rini of the cartridge L, and which portion is slotted to admit ofthe pin G through it, and is further formed with shoulders m m for the projection f/ of the lever D, which passes through a continuation of said slot in the base of the eX- tractor, to bear against and start the cartridgeshell as the breech is opened. This forms a very simple and strong construction of extractor.

The sight represented in the drawing, and indicated by the letters M, u, u, and s, forms no part of the present invention, but is designed to be made the subject of a separate application for patent.

From the description given ot the parts, it will be seen that the same movement of the lever D, or compound lever D and E, opens the breech, half-cocks the hammer, and starts the shell.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The lever D, with the lever E pivoted to and arranged for operation in connection therewith, as described, in combination with the breech-block C and the locking-key F, substantially as specified.

2. The locking-key F, having legs d d, arranged to straddle the breech-block, in combination with the lever D and the breech-block C, whereby greater strength is secured to the parts, and the key performs its office with greater economy of space, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, substantially as herein described, of the trigger J, pivoted to the breech-block, with the lever D, arranged to operate independently of the trigger, whereby said lever, when opening the breech, withdraws from the trigger, and conceals or protects it from manipulation, as specified.

EBEN T. STARR.

Vitnesses HENRY T. BROWN, MicHAnL RYAN. 

